The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-03-18
A SPREE FOR SCIENCE.
Or. HAMMoNp's ASTONISHING Ex-
PERIENCES WITH COCAINE.

PERIENcEs WITH COCAINE.
a Small Dose Produces an Exhilaration
Of spirits-A stimulant for the Imagina-
tion-Abnormsi Loqusoity-A Sewers
Neutrality-suspicious..
DR.. Hammond had used coca wines, fluid
extracts, and other forms Of tho drug, but
had discarded tho fluid extracts because they
were badly borne by tho stomach, and the
wines because they contained tannin and
extractive matters and differed 30 much In
their effects. He found that two grains Of
hydrochloride Of cocaine to the pint Of pure
wine was the proper preparation and pro-
duced all the beneficial effects and none Of
the 'deleterious results. Then he began q
series Of experiments with hypodermic injoc-
tions of the" hydrochloride to ascertain
whether the stories about the cocaine habit
were true or false.
''At first injected one grain and expert
enced an exhilaration Of spirits similar to
that produced by two or three glasses Of
champagne, - said DR.. Hammond to q re.
porter. my powers Of imagination in
creased. The physical sensation was de-
lightful, undulating thrill. was in very
happy frame Of mind-a sociable mood
and no doubt would have been quite agree
abls company. The after effects were in
ability to sleep until in the morning, and q
headache when got up. The next night
took two grains, and in addition to the SEN
sations described felt desire to write.
had begun q letter to friend, and under the
influence of the drug extended what would
have been missive of moderate length to
an epistle covering wide variety Of topics
and forty-eight pages Of paper It proved
to be correctly written and coherent and
gave much satisfaction to the receiver, but
found that had treated diffr-ely Of many
things that ordinarily I would not deem
worth mentioning.
STIMULATING THE IMAGINATION.
"If man were DESTROYS of writing to fill
space or utterly exhausting given subject
even to the most thrilling details, / would
recommend him to fill his inkstand, get a
ream or two of paper and plenty of pens,
and have physician give him hypodermic
injection Of cocaine. If you want to con-
dense your subject don't take cocaine in large
doses. No doubt moderate quantity taken
in wine will stimulate the imagination and
enable one to write more brilliantly and with
AcSS CAOlU tuuA uc OUACA W AoC COuIu. 4IUoCAC
Sue never wrote without bottle of cham
payne at his elbow, and the luxuriance of his
imagination displayed in the Wandering
jew may be attributed, in part, to the
effects of the wine. The difference between
cocaine and alcohol as stimulants is that
alcohol has a tendency to lower the mental
and moral tone and brutalize the nature,
while cocaine has refining softening effect.
11ndavs tho influenza cf rpnIarofa 6Ccoc ho-
came rather sentimental and said nice things
to everybody. The world was going very
well, and had favorable opinion of my
fellow men and women. There was not
bit of pugnacity about me, and l didn't
want to fight, argue or dispute with any one.
"The next time I increased the dose to
three grains, which unlimbered my tongue in
the most astonishing way. l wanted to
talk, and l did talk, not in the oratorical
manner, but I was just purely loquacious.
When nobody was present talked to my
self. There was no disarrangement of the |
mental faculties no disorder of the process
Of thought. I talked coherently and cor
rectfy, and am certain that il had been |
in the lecture room should have spoken |
much better than usually speak. I was
perfectly able to restrain the impulse to talk,
but it was pleasant to speak, and enjoyed
myself hugely. There was an abnormal
quickening of the faculties; the minds opera
lions were rapid and the imagination vivid.
Headache followed.
''Then I doubled the quantity of the
cocaine and became somewhat intoxicated.
The scribbling propensity returned, and I
wrote unanimously. I was preparing q |
medical work, and my mind was full Of the |
subject matter What wrote was an intro
duction to the book, and thought it very
brilliant production. Ideas came thick and |
fast, and I was persuaded that my compost
ton work was going to eclipse anything that |
I had ever done in that line. When put it |
away and went to bed I congratulated |
myself that should DO satisfied with my
nights work when should read it over.
LOT OF AREANT NONSENSE.
~ didn't sleep at all that night. When I
looked over my famous introduction found
it to be arrant nonsense Each sentence was
complete and coherent in itself, but none
had any relation to the others, although all
were in the general line of the subject was
whole very much like dream. 1t was
mess of ragged, disconnected ideas and
notions, set down in disorderly fashion and
matter that did not belong to an
But in spite Of tho rampant
disorder of ideas I had no Authorizations such
as are produced by hasheesh, no grotesque
decisions Or insane imaginings. The mental
machinery was running with the governor
belt thrown off, and the brain raced, so to
speak. Eight grains three nights later pro-
duced similar effects, but did not write and
the sensation became rather painful than
agreeable.
"The next night determined to make a
more severe test, and SO injected eighteen
grains within twenty minutes The results
were stunning. I became intensely exhila-
rated and finally oblivious. What did or
thought or felt don't know, except from
evidence. got to bed in
some way. In the morning found the
library in disorder. AL the volumes Of two
large cyclopmdias were opened and scattered
about the floor as though had been search
ing for something and could not find it,
had not the slightest recollection of touch
ing book or wanting to look up anything.
Any brilliant idea might have had under
he influence of eighteen grains Of cocaine is
lost to the world. But have a
vivid remembrance Of a most preposterous
that lasted two days and refused
20 succumb to cold baths. l cured it with
7 ~, |